March Winds Do Blow...

March came in like a lion and is going out like a tiger. A siberian tiger. Just a couple of days ago I had to dig my car out of a snow-drift - with the very welcome assistance of my brother and cover-artist, Andrew. As my car is one of those little 'jelly-mould' Micras, it looked like an igloo - I wish I'd thought to take a photo. Snow was heaped on its roof to a depth of a good six inches, and was mounded in a smooth curve from its roof to the ground in front of its bonnet. The snow had drifted to half-way up its doors, and both the rear window and number-plate were buried. What fun we had, Andrew and I, shovelling water! It was hard, frozen snow that could be cut into blocks with the spade. I had to get one of those flexible plastic chopping boards from my kitchen to try and lever the snow off the car roof - and some of it was just too hard to dislodge. My aunt, feeder of foxes, hedgehogs, badgers and any other wildlife that wants to drop by her garden, sends me these photos.

Goldcrest

They're of a goldcrest, which she hasn't seen on her bird-tables for about three years. This pair are now gorging themselves on fat balls, peanuts and seeds of all kinds. They are pretty little birds, with their flash of a gold crest, and they are absolutely tiny - smaller than a wren. They're about as big as your top thumb joint. And the other brother, Adam - here's what he's been up to, instead of drawing Blott cartoons...